Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Book Reviews: A Place of Healing, Missionary

A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the
Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God’s Sovereignty by Joni Eareckson Tada
is a transparent book that reveals Joni’s questioning about her own chronic
pain, quadriplegia, and what she believes about God. Very well written, it
begins with a zealous young man telling her she didn’t have enough faith for
God to heal her, the time she went to a faith healer’s meeting, and so many
things that she has learned over the more than forty-five years since she was
paralyzed. Joni addresses God’s sovereign will, why He allows suffering, the
good that comes through weakness, and the very real day-to-day struggles she
faces. She talks about contentment and joy along with pain and needing people
to help her with almost everything. She tells some hilarious stories, like the
time she traveled with a blind friend—just the two of them—on a plane.

I laughed and cried and thought how many
times God has been bringing these concepts to my attention lately. Should we
question God? Or should we question just enough to get answers? Are there always answers—or do we move
ahead in the faith that the Lord has a purpose in every situation, be it
physical suffering or emotional? When we belong to Jesus, God has a plan, a
purpose.

Joni knows that God has used her in a special
way because she is a quadriplegic. She would never have had the opportunities
to share the gospel without the special platform she has because of the grace
He has given her in the midst of her suffering. She has purpose and a reason to
get up and go to work each day.

A
Place of Healing ends with a few chapters with stories about
people who have been blessed through the ministry of Joni and Friends. They are
absolutely wonderful stories of how God put two unlikely people together to
meet a special need. Sometimes, it’s a fitted wheelchair . . . or
encouragement.

There are a very few points where I differ with Joni’s
theology and ecumenical inclusivity, but overall, this book is one of the most
inspirational books I’ve read this year. Joni shows a deep understanding of the
Bible when it comes to the subjects of healing, faith, suffering, and hope. I
definitely recommend it for anyone. (I would personally recommend reading this
book after doing Betty Henderson’s excellent
Bible study about the book of Job, Grace
for Every Trial, reviewed here.)

Missionary: An Unexpected Journey of
Following God’s Call to the Other Side of the World by Christopher Marco
is the delightful, first-person story of how Marco (if that really is his name)
goes from Joe Citizen to being a missionary in Asia. It’s like reading a diary
of his call, his adjustments—along with his wife and baby—and his first
interactions with the people and culture. It’s how he and his family got the
life call to missions.

Very well written, I thoroughly enjoyed this
book. Okay, I admit it; I am a missionary, so a lot of the things he expresses
hit a chord.

I love his introduction, as I remember a time
when I felt exactly the same way: “When you think of a missionary, a blurry
image probably comes to mind. You might think of a brave soul, one of
superhuman faith, without sin, walking daily in miracles the rest of us long to
see once in a lifetime, joyfully giving up privilege for the sake of the higher
call . . . . Wait a second, that’s not what I thought of. When I thought of a
missionary, I thought of someone who is socially awkward, wearing clothes that
look a little funny, who talks about things normal people don’t care about, a
person forced out of their own culture and striving for acceptance in another.
Then I became one.”

The rest of the book is about Marco’s vision,
his trip to the field, his cultural and language adjustments, his feeling like
a foreigner, his guilt over separation from family, his first attempts at being
a missionary and the surprising—and not surprising—responses to his mostly
one-on-one ministry to university students. Then, it’s about what God did in
his heart through ministry, lessons he learned, and his call to go back, and
back, and stay.

Except for his infrequent use of a vulgar
word, I loved this book. Marco gives us an insight into real missions. He is
transparent and lets you understand it all. The style is talky, and the writing
is excellent. Though I probably would not worship in exactly the same way he
describes and I might have a couple of other differences with him, I think
Marco has communicated very well the need, the heartbeat, and the reason for
missions, along with his personal dedication to reaching the lost. I recommend
it to the discerning reader.

Hi and welcome to In the Way! I explore many subjects, striving always to present them from a biblical viewpoint. Feel free to browse the tabs at the top for general categories. If you don't see what you're looking for, use the search button below. I'm a pastor's wife, mother of two, grandma, teacher, author, and blogger. I live in a quaint little village in the beautiful Basque region of northern Spain.

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Lou Ann is a young-thinking grandma with an infectious laugh. She rejoices in nature and other beautiful things--including people! She's an avid writer and practices several other artistic expressions, like singing when no one's listening, calligraphy, photography, and even "serious art." Lou Ann loves her Lord Jesus Christ, family, and her church.